Travelingjenny

Navigating the hilly terrain of motherhood

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  • Back home

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    I am still buried under piles of laundry and other debris from our vacation in Colorado, so I have yet to comb through the 848 (!!) photos I took while we were away. I know that all four of my loyal readers are wondering how our trip was, though, so I will share with you the very first photo I took (above), and the very last (below).

    We had a fantastic time — with amazing surroundings like that, how could you not? — and both girls loved their first real mountain experience. It was hard to leave that view behind, but it feels awfully good to be home.

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  • Phone photo Friday: Loving the fish

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    We are saying farewell to Maine (and the fish bubble at LLBean) for a week while we visit Colorado. We are so excited to show Grace her birthplace, visit old friends, and hang out in the mountains. And don't worry  — I'll take lots of photos!!

  • Surviving the first week

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    Now that they have so much time together, the girls are finding new ways to entertain themselves, by using every hair clip in the house, making elaborate homes for animals, or pretending to be robots. 

    It's been a good first week of summer vacation. The girls have played together very nicely, and I've been impressed by their ability to entertain themselves for longer periods of time — long enough, at least, for me to take a shower. So I'll accept those crazy robot games, and those giggly, out-of-control races around the house, as long as we still have some quiet moments in-between. I really like those moments.

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  • Robots

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    I didn't know that robots like to wear pointy hats and hold their arms up. Our two little crazies teach me something new every day. Not necessarily useful, but definitely new.

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  • Farmer’s market

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    On Saturday we visited the Portland farmer's market for the first time this season. I had forgotten just how fun — and beautiful — the market is. We shopped for annuals, ran into several friends, and played in the water fountain. Right now, there's very little water in the fountain, and there are a few places where water shoots up every so often. Grace stood right on top of them, blocking the water with her foot and getting pretty wet in the process. Tess, on the other hand, didn't really want to get wet, but loved the excitement of playing near the little geysers. In fact, she was so thrilled by this that she was moved to perform a 'donkey kick.' I guess we'll have to visit the farmer's market more often.

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  • Pushing limits

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    We took a walk yesterday at one of our favorite spots — Wolfe's Neck State Park. Over the course of the walk, two facts became apparent to me:

    1. Grace will always — always — push boundaries and test limits. In other words, if I say she can wade into the ocean up to her knees, she'll just pull up her shorts and go deeper anyway.

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    2. Although she is an otherwise obedient and cautious child, Tess wants to do whatever Grace does. She will throw caution to the wind and follow her sister wherever she goes. This might mean she has to balance precariously on a pointy rock, or wade out much farther from shore than she would ever go by herself. But she'll do it — even if this means getting her diaper and shirt wet (gasp!). 

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  • Phone photo Friday: Goodbye, pre-k

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    Kindergarten, here we come! (Doesn't she look grown up?!)

  • Bikes and trikes

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    Grace is very into bike riding these days, and can ride for over a mile at a time. We even took the training wheels off one evening, and she did amazingly well — until she got frustrated with stopping (i.e. crashing) and requested that we put her training wheels back on.

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    Tess wants to keep up with her big sister, so she has suddenly taken an interest in her tricycle. Now she can pedal around all by herself! Of course, this means following her sister right through the middle of puddles. And when she can't keep up anymore, she just ditches her trike and runs!

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  • Buddies

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    Our cuties are playing very nicely together these days. This morning, they were both up before the magical time of "seven-zero-zero," so they decided to play dress-up. We were awakened by a scary pirate (wearing a cowboy hat) and a soccer player. I am starting to worry a little about the schemes they will concoct as teenagers, but for now, there is nothing but sweetness.

  • Bowling party

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    On Saturday, the girls attended a birthday party at a bowling alley, providing them with their very first bowling experience. It was candlepin bowling, and the gutters were blocked, but they loved it.

    I swear it took light years for Tess's balls to make it all the way down to the pins, but she actually succeeded in knocking some down. And boy, was she excited! The best news is that now we have a new family activity to keep us entertained during those long Maine winters!

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